And ah! how precious is his love, And stays the soul on heaven. 'Tis peace, 'tis praise, without alloy, 'Twas thus, where God himself is known The angel myriad, round his throne In solemn silence bowed, And all were still and silent long. Nor dared one note to raise, Till burst the vast estatic song And heaven was filled with praise." ART. XXX.-Bertrand; a Tragedy in Five Acts. By S. B. HARPER, Esq. London: Fraser. 1837. We do not think very highly of this tragedy, and do not believe that it will ever be popular on the stage. It is an unequal performance; for while some of the sentiments which it contains are fine as well as beautifully expressed, and several of the imaginings bold and richly poetic, there is more that is either feeble in the conception, and coarse or extravagant in the utterance. We extract one of the most effective scenes of the whole, in which the heroine, a high-souled Spanish lady, prominently appears; and even here, our readers must feel that there is too much mouthing of noisy words and strong comparisons, for a deeply interesting female character Enter Mariana in great terror. Mariana. "Oh, brother-dear brother! my dearest love, Save one! Oh, good, kind Lopez !-That choice one, No, he doth live!-That heaven would not permit ! Art thou a man? Hast thou a heart? Or, have My words fused up the current of thy blood? Why, your teeth should chatter?-your two fists clench! And, like a basilisk, kill me with looking! Lopez. Strong joy that my dear sister's love hath thus Because their fatal aim hath missed its mark. Oh! cold, soulless man! as well might I T'eclipse the outbreakings of revenge. But hired Why, the man's no more mettle than an ass!" [exit.] ART. XXXI.-The Bard, by GRAY; with Illustrations by the Hon. Mrs. John Talbot. London: Van Voorst. 1837. THIS is a suitable and lovely companion to the Elegy, which was some time ago given to the world by the same publisher. It contains a num. ber of exquisite illustrations from designs made on wood by Mrs. Talbot, all of them original, excepting one, and creditable to that lady in no ordinary degree. Indeed, it is impossible that our readers can form any thing like a just idea of this appositely illustrated edition of a Poem, which it may truly be said has, does, and will maintain its place "on every table, and in every mouth," and which, it has also been declared, it “would be vain to blame and useless to praise." ART. XXXII.-Questions Proposed for the Serious Consideration of the Advocates of Church Rates. By FRANCIS KNOWLES. London: Ridgway. 1837. How often have we had occasion to remark, that the value of a book is not to be measured either by its size, its pretensions of any kind, or its price! Here is another exemplification of the fact. These questions, extending to sixty-four in number, occupying no more than eight small pages, and charge one penny, go to the root of the much-discussed subject to which they relate, and seem to us not only to take up every important point connected immediately with it, but by the form of each interrogatory to convey a resistless answer that exhausts the whole-that is to say, the voluntary doctrine. The pith, yet the moderation of the spirit of the questions, are admirable. Five or six "Questions" from the beginning, and about as many from the end of this slender publication, will justify our opinion. "1. When you make a demand upon others, is it not right, that, if required by them, you should state the grounds of it, and what you conceive to be its justice? "2. No doubt you feel conscious that you are acting as becomes just men and Christians; but may you not be mistaken, as thousands have been, who have persecuted their fellow-creatures for the glory of God? "3. And is it not a strong presumptive argument against you, that many of your own communion of sincere and unquestionable piety, are decidedly opposed to you on this question? 66 4. Is it not a fact, that their number is continually increasing? and do they not contemplate with pain the course which you are pursuing, as highly injurious to the peace of society, and the cause of pure and undefiled religion ?'-(James i. 27.) "5. If, however, you contend that you have right on your side, can you point out the law enforcing the levying of Church Rates? "6. If you can, is law always justice? and will a just man maintain an unjust law? * * * * * "60. Are you not influenced by a spirit, which the religion of Jesus Christ forbids and condemns ? "61. Are you not betraying the interests of Christianity, by exemplifying it as a religion fruitful only in strife and hatred, malice and illwill? "62. Are you not thus 'crucifying to yourselves the Son of God afresh, and putting him to open shame ?' "63. And how can such conduct escape the righteous judgment of God, when he shall render to every man according to his deeds?' "64. Or what can procure you a merciful consideration at that day, but the fact, that you acted from unavoidable and invincible error, and knew not what you did?-(Luke xxiii. 34; John ix. 41; 1 Tim. i. 13.) ART. XXXIII.-Church Leases Considered. Esq. London: Ridgway. By CHARLES H. ELSLEY, 1837. THIS is a clever pamphlet, the contents of which originally appeared in a provincial paper called the Yorkshireman, under the signature of " Peter Freeland." It does not enter upon the broad question of church rates, as respects their expediency or the propriety of abolishing them, but only adverts to that part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's plan, that contemplates the change to be introduced into that property, which is now held by individuals under leases granted to them by dignitaries of the church-whether bishops, deans and chapters, prebendaries, or canons— called church leases. The author's views are liberal, and clearly, as well as forcibly, put. It appears to us that he has fully explained certain matters which are not generally understood. ART. XXXIV.-An Historical Inquiry into the Unchangeable Character of a War in Spain. London: Murray. 1837. THIS Volume presents not so prominently an inquiry into the character of Spanish wars in general, as of that which now distracts that kingdom. To all those who desire to find an able, but not uniformly temperate argument in support of the Carlist faction in that country, and a severe treatment of Lord Palmerston's policy towards it, as England's representative, we recommend its pages. The style of the work, both in spirit and expression, leans to the bombastic. But allowing certain latitudes for a strong Tory partizan, the author very clearly lays bare the fruitless nature of the efforts which foreign or mercenary troops and influence have lately and indeed on all occasions, made to coerce any party in Spain during a civil war. It would be quite easy to answer or blunt the edge of many of the doctrines and allegations here set forth, were we to identify ourselves with the Christino party. This it is not our office or desire to do. At the same time we must object to the manner in which the writer in one breath sometimes blows hot and cold, both upon Spaniards and English-that is to say, the English who constitute the British Legion that has of late been serving in that convulsed land. We quote the two first paragraphs of the work, as a specimen of its style and spirit. "On the night of Friday the 10th of March, (Friday, that day of illomen,) those who are considered to represent the feelings and intelligence of this empire, submitted with impatience to a debate on the disastrous condition of our foreign policy, as regards the Peninsula, that unhappy land, for which God has done so much, and man so little. The honest voice of those right judging statesmen, who dared to question the soundness of that policy by which the honour of England has been tarnished, and so many of her sons inveigled into defeat and wretchedness, was listened to with apathy. The debate was stigmatized at its conclusion, as an interruption of domestic business, and a wasting of the precious time of parliament. The ⚫ ponderous levities' the supercilious waiting gentlewoman's' talk of the Irish viscount, into whose maladministration our foreign relations are so unfortunately placed, were indeed enough to generate the usual sensations of disgust and weariness; he was faintly supported by the drowsy cheers of that bare rope-of-sand majority of men, who, differing with each other as to every point on which the mind of man can be divided unite, from a community of fear and danger, in the support of the government, not from any approval of their measures, but from motives of temporal expediency—not from any desire to keep the Whigs in, but from a wish to keep the Conservatives out. At that very moment of night, thousands of British subjects, headed by a member of that very house, were exposed to the pitiless stormthe frozen sleet-keen double edged blasts of the rude mountains of Cantabria, unfed, uncheered, unsheltered, dispirited, and unbefriended—the very elements of nature in arms against them, and rolling out the passing knell of the dead and dying, whilst around on every threatening crag the blazing watch-fires of those brave mountaineers, whose feet were on their native hills, glared in the troubled mists, like that flame-traced writing on the wall-Mene mene, tekel upharsin; Thus far and no farther shalt thou come.' ་ ART. XXXV.-Le Traducteur; or Historical, Dramatic, & Miscellaneous Selection from the best French Writers. By P. F. MERLET, Professor, London University College. Third Edition. London: Wilson. 1837. THE augmented, corrected, and improved edition of Professor Merlet's popular and valuable selection, which, by its interlinear translations, explanatory notes, selection of idioms, table of the parts of speech, &c. now before us, is unquestionably one of the best assistants that can be named from among the innumerable elementary works that have been published, to enable English people to acquire the French language correctly and copiously. We particularly recommend, in the present impression, to learners, the interlinear translations, together with the rules and observations which are thrown into the notes, and which will be found to advance very considerably the study of grammar, in the case of those who have not the advantage of a master. ART. XXXVI.-A Dictionary of Difficulties, or Appendix to the French Grammar. Second Edition. By P. F. MERLET. London: Wilson. 1837. As explained in an advertisement by the author himself, the purpose for which this dictionary has been compiled is to place alphabetically those difficulties of the French language which do not strictly form a part of the most necessary rules of Syntax. There are other important features in the work, which render it valuable as one of reference; so that, toge. ther with Mon. Merlet's other academical assistants, it forms a complete series of educational standards, in as far as French grammar is concerned. |